A quick word before this one: every “chosen one” story needs a moment where the characters are self-aware enough to know they’re in one. This scene got cut for pacing, but it’s too funny to just delete forever, so it lives here instead. Enjoy the chaos.

Soren POV

I was not in love.

I was, at most, adjacent to love. Love-curious. But then she smiled at me during a strategy meeting, like an absolute lunatic, and I forgot the entire logistics of our southern flank.

Which is inconvenient, given that I am in charge of the southern flank.

Also, she smells like vanilla and extremely bad decisions. I have never been good at resisting either.

Emberlyn POV

I could burn the world. I had burned the world, once. And yet all I could think about was the mortal girl with her binder full of plans, her ridiculous ideas, and her stupid, stupid beautiful face.

Anyway. I needed to focus. The moonstones were humming again, which usually meant something was either being born or unsealed.

Spoiler: it was the second one.

Karlie POV

So here’s the thing.

I had kissed a prince. Then possibly un-kissed him with a declaration about muffins. Then maybe accidentally started a magical prophecy by emotionally compromising the half-Fae dragon whisperer.

Oops.

Anyway, I was still trying to work out whether I could be a chosen one, or just someone with a lot of confidence and a habit of standing near important things right when they exploded.

Which, personally, I felt should count.